In my 44 years on this sweet Earth I have learned a great many lessons.

I’ve learned that coffee, when it is really good coffee, is pretty enjoyable black with no sugar.

I’ve learned that despite my lowest lows and a variety of slumps I have pushed through, my body is indeed capable of running 26.2 miles if I ask it nicely enough.

I’ve learned that the direction of my day, good, bad, or ugly, is often determined in the first hour I am awake.

I use these lessons everyday.

I skip the weak cups of coffee and wait instead for the opportunity to drink the cups I prefer and I am always glad I did. (Kind of like a “I am just too grown to drink crappy coffee”- type thing.)

I offer gratitude regularly just because I have legs to carry me through the day, a heart that beats without me asking, and lungs that keep me breathing.

And I begin every single day with intention, practicing rituals that improve my mood, energy, and the general tone of the rest of my day.

It is no great mystery to discover that when our days begin with chaos and we rush through the morning, we carry that tone and energy all day long. When we begin in a calm, organized way, things tend to fall into place so much easier.

If given a choice, I go with option B every time.

I have settled into the latter choice with a little resistance at first. (I don’t deal well with change.) but l liked the way the day went when I was mindful about morning rituals and that made being consistent much easier. Whenever I find myself saying, “Oh, I can skip that part for today,” my mind fast forwards the day and I remember how I want to feel at the end of it. I know I am much more likely to end the day with a satisfied and grateful smile if I follow through.

And so I do.

The Morning Rituals That Help Me Slay the Day:

Meditate. Discovering the Calm app has made this the easiest part of my morning to slip into. Without much thought or any preparation at all (In other words, no more searching youtube for a good guided mediation or one that fits my time limitations.) I just wake, brush my teeth, turn on the coffee, and then get comfortable. This one simple ritual has made a huge difference in my life. Now I can’t imagine my mornings without it.

Move. During the week this usually means a simple yoga/stretch routine. Just a little something to allow the body to wake up and get the positive vibes flowing. For me, it isn’t anything too intense, just enough to feel ready for the day.

Set intentions. I may do this while face-to-face with myself in the bathroom mirror or while I am sipping my morning coffee. I set one, two, or sometimes three simple intentions for the day. And they vary.

Today I will respond to each situation with loving kindness.

Today I will send out the invitations to the party.

Today I will choose my book and my journal instead of the TV.

Today I will make it yoga no matter what.

None of this has to take very long at all but the impact is amazing. If you are looking for ways to positively influence the course of your day, you could try any one of these, all of these, or create your own morning rituals.

If you do embrace these or other morning rituals, tell me and other like-minded moms in our online group, The Real Moms Collaborative. It is our free group that makes sharing and connecting so much easier.

Thank you for reading. If you benefited from this post, please feel free to comment below or share it in your inner circle of moms. If you do or if you don’t, all love all the same.

Right about now that enthusiasm we had a few short weeks ago starts waning off.

All the New Year’s excitement and energy for recommitting to health goals starts to settle down and suddenly staying the course gets just a little tougher.

If you are nodding your head, you are not alone.

The new year always starts off with a buzz in the air, a bit of a thrill surrounding all of that fresh potential that the beginning of the year promises. We can’t help but get caught up in it.

And that is a good thing.

Nothing wrong with feeding into the motivation to eat a little better, exercise a little more, and take care of ourselves more frequently.

Then the buzz settles down.

The ups and downs of life threaten the rhythm we are trying to hard to maintain.

Before we know it, we are just slightly discouraged and feeling the weight of an uphill battle.

So here I am, just in time to get your head right back in the game. (As Cher might say, “Snap out of it!”)

Look, you didn’t set those goals and intentions for no good reason. You want to come out on the other side of this journey with a smile on your face and living your BEST LIFE! Right?

You set those goals because there is a way you want to FEEL.

energized

happy

confident

fit

balanced

spiritual

worthy

thriving

engaged

Healthy

peaceful

boundless

awakened

inspired

Whatever feelings you were going for, you have to travel the road it takes to get there. THAT is why you set those goals. I just can’t let you forget that.

You can do this.

I promise.

You have what it takes.

Sometimes we just need a reminder and a little push.

And if a little more push is what you need, maybe one or two of these ideas will give you an extra motivation boost:

Build your healthy community. Spend time with those peeps in your life that get it. It makes a huge difference!

Watch one of the many inspiring documentaries about health and wellness. Netflix has about a half a million or so. (This always works for me!)

Try something new! Maybe it is a new exercise class, shopping at a new healthy market, or anything healthy you have been meaning to do, but just haven’t…..yet! If not now then when?

Celebrate the successes you’ve had! Big or small, they are all worth at least a victory dance!

Plan, plan, plan. You can’t move forward (at least not long term) without a plan. So carve out time to plan meals, workouts, meditations, journaling, and all the things you need to feel healthy and happy.

For the sake of well being and growth, I’ve been intentionally quiet and it has been for the best. I was (and still am) immersed in some personal healing and being withdrawn has been part of that process. It has allowed me to realize some things that are true for me in the healing process, some things I am sharing in the hopes that they might be true for you as well. Maybe this is a little bit of service to you.

And “maybe” is worth it.

Life is full of ups and downs, no big surprise there. We all come to many points in our lives that require a great deal of healing. That healing begins with kindness. This is the most important truth when it comes to the topic of healing.

kindness means acceptance.

kindness means forgiving.

kindness means embracing the struggle for what it is and working through it without judgement.

This is especially true when that struggle is your very own.

Those things may not feel like they can fit into a busy mom’s life. But when healing and growth have come due, then fitting in kindness and healing is not an option.

Personally, I had no choice but to stop everything in order to find the ways in which I could (and had to) show myself loving kindness as the first phase of healing. However, ideally we should be showing ourselves kindness daily so that we don’t come to a point of desperation.

If this sounds like the stage of your life that you are facing, here are a few simple ways to make personal healing a bit gentler through kindness.

the personal healing through kindness protocol:

Rest. Before you reach what feels like the end of your patience, energy, and/or motivation, find ways to rest. Cancel everything for a day or two or more. Maybe the kids could use a good movie marathon or have some sleep overs they have been meaning to schedule. Maybe book yourself an overnight at a local, fancy-as-possible hotel. Whatever this means for you, clear space in order to rest.

Without enough rest none of the rest of this will matter.

Leave your home for self care. Follow this in whatever your comfort-zone and budget dictates, but as a mom this was vital. It doesn’t matter if you are leaving for a 5-day meditation retreat or you are pouring yourself a cup of tea in your favorite travel mug and driving to the beach to get lost in a book…just leave your home and spend time with yourself.

Write a “Wish List of Self Care” and start scheduling it. If it helps you to imagine what you would tell your best girlfriend to do for improved self care, then write “her” list and keep it for yourself. Reach beyond the 5-minute dry brushing and weekly face mask. Although those are wonderful things to include in your busy life, the kindness required for healing goes beyond those practices.

Think broader.

My personal wish list includes solo walks in nature; massage; 1/2 day, 1-day, and 3-day retreats; time to read; time to journal; therapy; classes on topics near and dear to my heart; yoga; and more.

Yes, more.

Go for it.

Ask for help implementing your wish list. Find babysitters, sign the kids up for classes, reach out for help and support. There are people who love you and will help you set your plan in motion.

Build up your healing community. I am blessed to have a wide and loving community of moms. It is a community I cherish and adore.

However that mom community doesn’t necessarily meet all of the needs I may have in order to heal and recover in ways that are specific and unique to me. I didn’t realize until I was in crisis that I needed to build up a community that was healing in ways that I was.

Whether you are seeking to heal from stress, mental illness, addiction, abuse, or any other path that finds you focused on personal healing, find and build that community. The degree you will lean on them will be different for everyone but it can still offer invaluable love, support and strategies for healing.

These steps are not meant to replace any professional support you might need or want but they are meant to support you in some loving, even if minor, way.